Rebekah Murrell (Actor)
Theatre includes: Scenes with girls, Glass. Kill. Bluebeard. Imp. (Royal Court); Whitewash (Soho Theatre); Nine Night (National Theatre and Trafalgar Studios), Romeo & Juliet (Shakespeare’s Globe)
Film includes: Pirates.
Television includes: Roman Mysteries and Being Victor.
Generation Arts would like to thank Rebekah for contributing to the Get Scene at Home 2020 portal
When / how did you first get into acting?
I used to go to drama club after school when I was a kid and I really liked it. I worked a little bit as a professional actor in my teens then stopped doing it because I wanted to do other things like go to uni. But in my early 20s I realised I loved theatre and returned to acting.
What was your experience of training like?
I never had any formal training, I did a lot of free and non-traditional training opportunities that I fit around school or jobs. The best thing about training like this for me was learning from my peers, and building a big network of other young actors and theatre-makers who were all coming into the industry in different ways and bringing with us different perspectives on how we want things to work. I joined the young companies of the Arcola and the Kiln, I did National Youth Theatre, I did The Actors Class.
What was your first significant acting job?
My first big acting job was a BBC TV show called Roman Mysteries. I started when I was 13.
What has been your most rewarding job and why?
So hard to pick because especially at the beginning you learn different lessons and gain so much from every job!! Most rewarding was directing Yasmin Joseph’s play J’OUVERT because the process was so hard but the play that came out of it was so beautiful.
What is the hardest aspect of being a professional actor?
The lack of control – you don’t know when the next job is coming and you don’t know how long the work will be around for. You have to learn to go with the flow and know yourself and your purpose really well.
What advice do you wish you had taken as a young, aspiring actor?
Hard question! I would say make sure you know yourself as an actor. Know what your strengths are. Know what your weaknesses are, and work on them. Always make sure you are working on your craft, it’s a lifelong journey.
What advice do you have for young BAME actors?
Tap into the network of Black and brown folks making theatre. Follow people on social media. Get to know who runs which theatres, who is making what work. Ask peers and people already working in the industry for advice if you need it.
Do you have any top tips for the actors from Generation Arts?
See as much theatre as you can. Watch films and TV as much as you can. Notice what actors are doing. Notice whose work you like and what it is you like about it. Know what kind of actor you want to be. Get involved in as much stuff as you can – do scratch nights, workshops – to keep your finger on the pulse. Get plugged into the theatre community. Ask for advice. Get to know the world and what you care about in it – understand your purpose as an artist.
